Oranges

Dreaming of the cat and gathering grass clippings, while moving to a new place. Anxiety at the anniversary. Why this move into the House was so searing is still a bit of a mystery to both of us. Busy at work, but not as busy as this year is. Smaller into bigger, no flights of stairs, a week to shift it all, enough help. A winter move - but the weather held mild. We shake our heads, only knowing it hurt a lot more that time, no adequate diagnosis. Something broken in us from the previous move, is all we can guess.

No hot flashes last night, so I slept until 7. Resting today, then cooking. Chili is best on the second day. D wonders why he associates Mexican food for Christmas, since he certainly never had it on holidays in childhood. Also, 7-Up with cranberry juice - which he did. For me, it's nuts - a big bowl of mixed nuts to crack and eat, with a Coke - having neither this year. Both of us have fond memories of the jellied, canned cranberry sauce - with the lines.


Christmas day for us means one thing. Having food on hand. From that first one together, stuck in Ft. Collins, the Army not letting us know that a meal was being served at the chow hall until after it was over. The couple score of us left with family care packages full of sweets, and a drunken Irish priest of a chaplain pushing alcohol. Neither of us drank, D because he doesn't, me because I won't on an empty stomach, the sweets palled quickly. Late in the day, oranges appeared - our Christmas miracle. We scarpered off with them to devour in peace.

We swore we'd always at least have food on Christmas. MHR. Minimum Holiday Requirements. So far, so good. Yesterday, doing shopping for the Eve Dinner, we made damn sure we would have sufficient on the next day - when we'd have a very hard time finding an open restaurant or grocery store.

And I'm not driving. Preferably not until I have to drive to work on Thursday.

We don't exactly go wild with the lights, but they are pretty.


Moby hanging out with his warm friend. D put down the blanket. Once we left the room, Moby noticed it and had a wonderful idea. Sit on the blanket next to his friend - the space heater.